Reciprocating compressor



United States Patent 01 2,948,461 RECIPROCATING COMPRESSOR Arne Frank, La Crosse, Wis, assignor to The Trane Company, La Crosse, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Feb. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 713,619

Claims. (Cl. 230-232) This invention relates generally to gas pumps and more particularly to sound deadening and vibration dampening of refrigerant compressors.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved compressor so constructed as to decrease the audible vibrations created by the reciprocation of the pistons and by the rapid opening and closing of the suction and discharge valves.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compressor with an improved cylinder head which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble.

A third object of the invention is to provide a compressor which includes an improved cylinder head composed of two superimposed dome shaped members to dampen the audible vibrations of the compressor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compressor which includes an improved cylinder head composed of a dome shaped sheet metal disc superimposed over and in intimate contact with an inner dome shaped member to dampen vibration of the compressor and thereby reduce the noise level.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a cylinder of a compressor showing more or less diagrammatically the improvement in compressors by this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the discharge valve cage of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the improved cylinder head shown in cross-section in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the improved cylinder head shownin cross-section in Figure 1.

In the drawings, numeral designates a compressor casing engaging and supporting the cylinder wall 12 in which is secured cylinder liner 14. Piston rod 16 is connected at one end to a crankshaft (not shown) and at the other end by means of a wrist pin 18 to the piston 20. The compressor may have any desired number of cylinders and any desired arrangement of cylinders. The cylinders may be arranged radial, in line, opposed, or in a V. These cylinder arrangements are old and well known and do not constitute part of this invention. The operation of one cylinder will herein be described and such operation is typical of the operation of any number of cylinders desired in a compressor.

As the piston 20 descends, the pressure in the compression chamber 24 is reduced causing the pressure of the gas in the gas inlet 22 to be greater than the gas pressure in the compression chamber 24 which pressure difference causes suction ring valve 26 to be forced upwards against the action of compression springs 28 allowing the gas to flow through gas suction ports 30 into the compression chamber 24. The compression springs 28, retained in slots 29 of the suction valve plate 32, are held against the suction ring valve by the suction valve plate 2,948,461 Patented Aug. 9, 1960 "ice 2 v 32 which is secured to cylinder liner 14 by a channel ring 34. An O-ring 36, made of neoprene or any other suitable resilient material, is provided in an annular slot 38 to prevent leakage of gas from the discharge side of the cylinder to the compression side of the cylinder or to the atmosphere.

As the piston ascends and the gases are compressed, the pressure in the compression chamber 24 becomes greater than the pressure in the discharge chamber 40 and discharge ring valve 42 in the discharge valve cage 44 is forced upward against the action of compression springs 46, retained in circular slots 49 of the discharge valve cage 44, and the compressed gas flows through the discharge ports 47 into the discharge chamber 40. The compressed discharge gas from discharge chamber 40 exits through conduit 48 and is manifolded into a single discharge line (not shown) with the gas from the other cylinders of the compressor.

The flexible retaining member 54, commonly called a Belleville spring, engages tab members 52 integral with discharge valve cage 44 to hold the feet 50 of discharge valve cage 44 securely against the suction valve plate 32. A discharge valve seat 56 is secured to the discharge valve cage 44 by a nut 58. The flexible retaining member 54', upon a surge or slug of liquid into the suction side of the cylinder, will allow the discharge valve cage 44 to move upwards and thereby prevent destruction of or. serious injury to the compressor.

An improved cylinder head 60 is provided between the flexible retaining plate 54 and a snap ring 62 to absorb and dampen out audible vibrations created by the reciprocation of the compressor. Cylinder head 60 is composed of an upper dome shaped disc 64 and a lower metal dome shaped disc 66 which are closely fit and co-extensivewith one another but are loose enough-- to allow the dome shaped top of the lower disc 66 to flex in and out responsive to the pulsations set up by the reciprocation of the piston so that the disc 64 may dampen out to a great extent the audible vibrations set up. The upper dome shaped disc 64 and the lower dome shaped disc 66 are maintained in intimate contact by the flexible retainingmember 54 and snap ring 62. Further, since the lower dome shaped disc 66 will be vibrating relative to the upper dome shaped disc 64, friction will be created between the discs and such friction will tend to absorb or dampen the audible vibrations. Preferably the upper dome shaped disc 64 is formed from sheet metal, but any other suitable material may be used. An O-ring 68 of neoprene or suitable resilient material is provided between the cylinder head 60 and the flexible retaining plate 54 to prevent the leakage of gas from the discharge side of the cylinder around the cylinder head 60 to the casing 10. It should be further noted-that the upper disc 64 also tends to absorb and eliminate the vibration produced by the rapid opening and closing of suction ring valve 26 and the discharge ring valve 42.

Although I have described in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is contemplated that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention and I desire to be limited only by the claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a compressor, a cylinder in said compressor, said cylinder having a compression chamber and a discharge chamber, a spring loaded suction valve operably associated with said compression chamber to admit gaseous fluid to said compression chamber, suction valve plate means secured above said spring loaded suction valve to bias said valve to the closed position, a spring loaded discharge valve located between said compression and discharge chambers, a discharge valve cage means secured above said spring loaded discharge valve to bias said discharge valve to the closed position, piston means in said compression chamber to allow gaseous fluid to enter compression chamber thru said suction valve on the down stroke and to compress and force said'gaseous flu d thm id i harge l n a discha e n h 2- t sk a ms n n he d scha s d f h v dish res a v g msans fl xi r aining m be above and in contact with said tabs to retain said disqh rg val e age o s id su ti a ve P te, lower disc secured above said flexible retaining member to receive th br ti s c e t y he: pi n an pp i s psrl sumh t a l ss/sly t e e a lower i o pen he. b ations tra sm t e s d ower disc. and, taini g means n on a t wi h: ai per i maint ih i mass an ower d s n. sea d t n ans hsn.

t uqmr of slai n 1; wher in. s id ppe nd l w disc a e d me shaped- The s r t r o c aim, 2,, w rein a. e l n s s sursd e w n, said: syl n r. head mean an sai exbl e ain n member to la e s ths a a e of as m the discharge chamber to the casing,

4, h ombina on o a s ss sx 1 y in in said compresson said cylinder having a compression chamher and: a di h r e c amb r su n. a e n p shly a o ia d it v s d.- mpr s on ch m er o mi as ous flu d. o, a d mp s io h mbe d s h v lve m an be wee s id om s ion nd ha e ch mbe hrou h ch a a u me um s. dmi te r m he o p es on; hamber t h sch e sham sn pi on meansin sa compr si n h m ma lo s ous fluid to enter said compression chamber thru said s c ion a v m a s on he, do n s oke nd o; s nrss nd fo c id s o u d h s i discharge valve. means into said discharge chamber on the up stroke, an a y i der a oss d a th p o a d s har chamb r a y n e head ha n a lower disc and n upper; disc superincumbent and co-extensive over the lower di and a re ai in means. n contac it said ppe disc to maintain said upper and lower discs in contact with one another whereby the upper disc dampens out the audible vibrations of the lower' disc.

5. A compressor comprising; a cylinder in said compressor, said cylinder having a compression chamber and a discharge chamber, suction valve means operably associated with said compression chamber to admit gaseous fluid to said compression chamber, discharge valve means between said compression and discharge chambers through which a gaseous medium is admitted from the compression chamber to the discharge chamber, piston means in said compression chamber to allow gaseous fluid to enter said compression chamber thru said suction valve means on the down stroke and to compress and force said gaseous fluid thru said discharge valve means into said discharge chamber on the up stroke, and a cylinder head located over said compression chamber, said cylinder head having a lower disc and an upper disc superincumbent and coextensive over the lower disc, and a re a means n onta w th sa d ppe d s to m i tain said upper and lower discs in contact with one another whereby the upper disc dampens out the audible brati f. he ls s f d ss- References Eited: in thefile ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS,

- .,3- 7 2 rn d; -V---=,-,--L--- l y- 1919 968 12 St sd n. -s t- 16, .28 1,915,694 n r. i 1 June 27, 1933 1,234,994. Nahman et; a1, Nov. 14; 1933 ,-.-'.Jt'-:,-r-'' 2 285 9 4 fl lf rs n a. h- June 9, 42 2,592,343 Scheldorf A t; 8, 1952 21 2, 5 4 1953 2 0 .s .7 a ,1958 .8 .v Gsr h n N 18, 19,58 FOREIGN PATENTS 124,755 Australia Jan. 27, 1944 

